Third Time's The Charm
by gumiibearx3
Summary: Kushina has been arranged to marry this mysterious man from Konoha, and she only knows his name: Namikaze Minato. She is determined to get away from this possible marriage using any means necessary, but will her mind remain unchanged when she gets to know this mysterious 'Minao Kazonima' and his genin team on her way to Konoha? Rated T for possible swearing and violence.
1. Chapter 1

**(A/N): Helloo everyone! Thanks for giving my story a chance! This is probably gonna be the last time I'll put my notes at the beginning of a chapter, but I want to make few things clear right from the start:**

**\- English is not my native language. This means that there may be some grammar errors in the chapters or misspelled words. I'll try my hardest to avoid them, but I'm pretty sure I may not be able to spot them all.**

**\- This**** story is AU-is****h.**** That means that what happens in the story will happen in the world we all know, but there might be some changes. Since I haven't read Naruto in a long, long time I may not know all the plot twists etc. And this story being AU-ish also means that I might change up the characters ages, come up with completely new characters and so on. ****So this story WILL NOT follow the canon route.**

**\- What you can recognize, is from Naruto. What you can't, is made up by me. Simple. So I do not own Naruto so please don't sue me (:**

**\- This is only a Minato x Kushina fic, so there will be no other couples involved. Other couples might make an appearance later in the fic, but in no way will this fic be concentrated on any other pairing than MinaKushi.**

**Getting all those out of the way, I hope you enjoy my fic! PLEASE rate and review and leave suggestions of what is good and what could be done better!**

* * *

_No._

_There was no way in hell that this was happening again._

_She thought that she must be dreaming._

_That this was all just a wicked nightmare from which she would wake up soon._

_But she was wrong._

_Uzumaki Kushina was wrong, once again._

* * *

The day had started in the most normal way anyone could imagine. Kushina and her team had finished off a few common tasks around the village of Whirlpool. In this case, meant killing a few rock nins. Simple tasks.

But words 'simple' and 'common' couldn't be used while describing the woman known as Uzumaki Kushina. Kushina was one of the most ungirly girls you would ever get the chance to meet. Actually, the only feminine parts of her were her long hair and well-shaped body. But her manners were in no level to a woman of her status.

Her father had always been the kage of her village, giving her and her two brothers, a certain status. Her two older brothers, Jiro and Saburo, were the two perfect sons anyone could ever ask for. Being well-behaving and good-looking, the two of them had no problems of finding a good wives for themselves. And that was all Kushina's father wanted: children who fit to his standards and produce a good offspring. With those two, he had had no worries. But then Kushina had entered the picture.

Kushina had always been the rambunctious kid. Growing without a mother figure and in the middle of a household where there were only men, she had tried to blend in, resulting her being the pain in her late father's back.

While her brothers had been married for a couple of years now; Kushina, at the age of 23, was still unmarried. In the ninja world, that was a huge deal. Most of Kushina's friends in Uzu had been married between the ages of 18 and 20. Since there was no guarantee that any ninja, shinobi or a kunoichi, would live to see any birthday next year, most of them wanted to get married and do it soon.

Once again, Kushina was not one of those. She was determined that _if _she ever got married, it'd be after a long career of being a kunoichi and serving her village. But her father thought otherwise.

So after getting back from her little mission, she was summoned to the Kage mansion, where her father had some interesting news to share with her.

''Kage, you wished to see me,'' Kushina said with a drained expression. She hated the kage mansion and wished to spend so little time there as possible. The mansion itself could be thought as her 'childhood home', but all the place ever gave her was a bunch of bad memories. So when she had hit the right age, she had moved away, leaving the mansion behind. The less things to remind her of the place, the better.

''I did indeed, Kushina. You see, I wanted to talk to you about marriage toda-'' he started, but was interrupted by Kushina.

''Hell to the no, old man. We have had this talk before, and believe it or not, my mind hasn't changed a bit. So the question is, who have you married me off to this time?'' She said, trying to sound as cold as she possibly could.

A couple years back, Kushina's father had started to really worry about his daughter's marital situation. Seeing no other options, he had started to ask from another village's men owning a high rank to marry his daughter. A few of them had said yes, and Kushina had been sent to meet those men, against her will of course.

The first man had been hideous. He had been a rich man in his late 50s from Kirikagure, who had had too much free time in his hands. When Kushina had arrived there, he had bluntly informed her how 'sexy and gorgeous' her body was, and how she should feel honored to be the 62nd wife of his and then he had proceeded on to tell her what he would be doing to her 'when the night would come'.

Before the man even knew it, Kushina had fled from there and was at home telling her father that there was no way that she was marrying that guy. Her father had been so angry with her, but she simply didn't care.

The second man was from Suna. He had been a lot more decent with her, but still the age gap was huge, and she couldn't see him as a possible love interest. Just to build his father's hopes up, she had stayed with the man for two months. After she came back, she swore she had seen a vein pop on her father's forehead.

After that she had hoped he had given up. For months she had heard nothing from his father, until now. Kushina was not happy to be hearing that that old man had found another man for her to marry, considering it was quite difficult, since her reputation had spread like a wildfire all over other lands.

When her father was done giving her a talk about how important good relations with other villages were, he proceeded to give her information about her 'future husband'.

''His name is Namikaze Minato, and he's from Konoha. You are destined to meet him in two weeks. If I hear a word that you have not met him in that time, or have done anything else to nullify this, there will be consequences. Have I made myself clear?'' He asked, and all Kushina could do was nod.

''Good. There will be a ferry tomorrow morning that will take you to the mainland, and from there you will have two weeks to get to Konoha. Give these papers to the guards at the Konoha gate, and they will direct you from that point onwards. And remember, there will be consequences if you fail to follow these orders.''

With those words Kushina exited the mansion and started to head towards her home. When she got to her apartment, she went in and flopped on to the bed.

''Huh… so it's time to meet the husband candidate number three,'' she thought and sighed.

But you know what they say: third time's the charm.

* * *

**So there it is! I hope it's any good and you will stick throw the whole fic! It will (hopefully) get better XD**

**There will probably around 13 to 17 chapters. I've thought that each chapter would represent a day, so there will most likely be 15 chapters + an epilogue. But if I can't come up with any plot for each day, I might add two days to one chapter. Who knows?**


	2. Chapter 2

**DAY 1**

The ferry she was supposed to leave on was destined to take its leave from the port of Uzushiogakure early in the morning. Just half an hour before she was supposed to leave she climbed out of the bed. When Kushina realized what the time was, she hurriedly showered, packed what she thought she needed, put on her clothes and slipped on her jounin vest, and hurried to the port.

She had no time to say goodbyes to her teammates, brothers or any other friend of hers. She felt it wasn't necessary, since she would probably be back in few months. And as she watched the scenery of her beloved village stay behind, she started to form her ''battle plan''. She decided that if the guy was a horrible piece of shit, she would give him hell. She was known for that for heaven's sake. Any guy at her village knew better than to mess with her. So if this Namikaze Minato would turn out to be a complete idiot towards her, she would release her alter ego, Red Hot-Blooded Habanero. She smirked at her own plan. It was kunai proof and nothing could pierce it. She smiled as she whispered to herself:

''Come at me, Namikaze. I'll be ready.''

* * *

''Minato-sensei, Kakashi and Obito are doing it again!'' brown haired girl complained to her sensei. Her sensei just sighed, and walked over to the two who were causing ruckus.

''Kakashi you stupid oaf, everyone knows that I'm the one out of the two of us who'll get the promotion to jounin first!'' claimed the dark haired kid with goggles, going by the name of Obito Uchiha.

To Obito's statement, the grey haired youngster could only utter a sarcastic laugh.

''You shrimp, I happen to already be a chunin, and you're still genin. Do you really think you have any chances of becoming a jounin _ever?_'' Kakashi stated, which only resulted in Obito charging at Kakashi.

Kakashi quickly moved into his battle stance and was ready to fight back. But before either of them could do anything, their sensei had moved in between them, placing a hand on both of their foreheads, and so ending the quarrel.

''You both, stop it this instant. Instead of fighting, couldn't you try to find a common ground?'' Minato sighed and continued his speech.

''Remember what I have taught you. Being a shinobi isn't all about being physically capable. Sure, it's a big factor, but what is more important is teamwork. And if either of you want to become a jounin, you _need _to learn to work as a team. At the moment Rin is the only one who is keeping this team together. And you can't rely on her too much. So you need to learn to work as a team as soon as possible, for everyone's sake. Is this clear?'' He asked in his sensei-voice, knowing that they'd both listen to him that way.

They both nodded, a little ashamed of their way of actions. Minato gave one of his trademark smiles and returned to his previous place under a tree, as the other two muttered a few apologizes to each other and to Rin.

''We will be travelling towards Konoha again tomorrow, so for the remaining day, restore yourself and enjoy the scenery. In about two weeks' time we will be back in Konoha.'' He informed and the three genins nodded, everyone going their separate ways in the nearby area.

Minato sat down to the ground and took out his letter which he had received from the Hokage earlier that day.

_Dear Minato,_

_I hope your mission is faring well and you're all in good health. But I'm not sending this message to discuss about your mission. _

_I'm writing this to inform you that we have found you a partner in marriage. She goes by the name of Uzumaki Kushina and is from the village of Whirlpool. She will be arriving here on the 13__th__ of July, and you must be back here to see and greet her._

_I know this might be a little sudden, but I'm only thinking of your best. You are like a son to me, you know that right? The fact is, that you are already 24 years old and you have shown no real interest in women before, because of your career as a ninja. But in my opinion it is time for you to settle down._

_So be here on 13__th__ of July and greet your possible wife-to-be._

_Yours,_

_Sandaime Hokage_

Minato sighed for the umpteenth time for the day. He was mildly surprised when he had received the letter. Sure, he had thought about marriage, but he had come to the conclusion that there was no good match for him in Konoha. He had dated a few times, but it hadn't been anything serious. He just didn't feel the 'spark' which he had read from his sensei's books. Sure, Jiraya's book were what they were, but other than the erotic parts, they had a few good lessons in them which everyone should learn. Of course he had always had his little 'fangirls', but all of them were just into his looks or skills.

''If only there would be someone who would get to know me because of me,'' thought Minato as he watched the clouds go by.

''Uzumaki Kushina… I wonder how she turns out to be…''

* * *

**(A/N): So here's the second chapter! Nothing great, I know, just a little 'filler' I guess. Next chapter is when the gears start to move and Minato and Kushina will meet for the first time!**

**I know this second update came really fast, but since I have my holiday vacations now, I figured it would be fun to write this fic as much as I possibly can. **

**And thank you for the three reviews I got! You have no idea how happy they made me, since I thought I would get none / and to answer one of them; I write in English simply because I want to improve my skills and I like to challenge myself every now and then (: Of course I could write in my native language, (which is Finnish) but I feel that if I write in English, I'll improve my skills and I have a bigger audience whom I'm writing to. (:**

**So thank you for the reviewers: **_**kirenuchiha1****, ****Bananarock509**** and ****hirana matabishi**_

**I hope you like this and see you next time!**

**Remember to rate and review or something like that Dx**


	3. Chapter 3

**DAY 3**

After the long ferry ride to the mainland, Kushina felt refreshed. Sure, she lived on an island, but that didn't mean that she enjoyed any type of boat ride. So after she got out of that damned thing and felt the solid ground beneath her two feet, the feelings she was experiencing could only be described as pure happiness. But those feelings were fading fast, as she realized that now every step she would be taking, would be leading her one step closer to her next ''husband-to-be''.

So Kushina did what she was told, and started her journey towards Konoha. She jumped up to a tree branch, thinking it would be faster to travel that way.

''What if I actually happen to like that Namikaze brat? And what if he likes me? What if we fall in love? Does that mean I have to leave my village? No, that wouldn't happen… but what if it would?'' Kushina thought as she jumped forward up in the trees. Kushina was so deep in her thoughts that she didn't notice at all that someone with brown hair and petite frame crashed into her, causing both of the females come crashing down to the ground.

''What the… watch where you're going you li-'' Kushina started but then realized who she was talking to. This girl couldn't be more than 13 years old, 15 at maximum. So she tried to control her temper, not wanting to shock the poor girl even more.

''I-I am really sorry ma'am. It was my fault for not noticing you and crashing horribly to you. I apologize.'' Said the kid with brown hair.

Kushina couldn't believe her ears. 'Ma'am?' Was she really that old looking or was this girl in such startled state that she couldn't comprehend the situation? Or was the girl in front of her just so well-behaved, like a good girl should be? Kushina had no clue. Being raised like one of the guys never really gave her the possibility to act like one of the girls. Not that she needed that anyway, she was going to be kunoichi for the rest of her life. That was the only thing she knew and nothing would ever change that. Not even that Namikaze brat.

''Don't sweat it kid. Accidents happen. Besides –'' Kushina started to say, but was interrupted by three males, about the same age as she was.

''Look at this, guys. I guess we got our entertainment for the day.'' One of them said while eyeing them both up.

Kushina felt disgusted and the girl next to her looked frightened. She clearly isn't the fighting type, Kushina figured.

''The other one looks a lot like the basic bitches we see every day, plus she hasn't matured yet on the right parts. But this other one with red hair… she looks intriguing.'' Said the second dude.

''Indeed, but I think we can get something out of that other chick too. Get them both.'' Said the third.

Kushina evaluated the situation. Three guys with no showing ninja skills, she could take them all out. But if they turned out to be shinobi's, she would be in trouble.

''Hey, what's your name?'' Kushina whispered to the girl next to her, not wanting to cause any type of commotion within the three guys.

She squeaked a tiny response, and so Kushina learned that her name was Rin. Kushina came to the conclusion that this must be one of her first mission outside of her village, thus her being so unstable. Kushina had dealt with bandits like these many times in her life, but trying to save her and Rin without shocking the younger girl too much was a whole different story.

''Rin, get behind me,'' Kushina said with a firm voice. She was ready for a battle as soon as she felt Rin behind her, but just before she would have attacked, there suddenly stood a blonde haired male between her and the bandits.

''Sensei!'' Kushina heard Rin behind her shout out.

The girl's sensei acknowledge his student and then turned to face Kushina and said,

''I can handle the situation from now on, you can just continue your travelling. A pretty woman like you shouldn't get their hands dirty.''

And before anyone could register what had happened, Kushina had launched herself towards the three bandits. With a few swings of her kunai and a few kicks and punches here and there, the three bandits were on the ground, unconscious and unable to move.

Rin and her now joined team could only watch the situation unfold before them. They were not expecting that woman to be so violent and capable of taking down three men twice her size. And they could also just watch that same woman marching towards their sensei and punching him straight to the stomach.

The punch had come so unexpectedly that all Minato could do was stagger a few steps behind and in the end, fall to the ground. Minato thought that letting her know that she had the ultimate power in this situation would be the best thing to do, so he simply stayed quiet and waited for the kunoichi to say what was on her mind.

''Don't… you… _ever_… offer to fight some simple fight for me! Understood?!'' The red haired woman said with a stern voice.

''Uhm… of course…'' Minato stuttered, and for the first time in his life he found himself speechless. He had always thought of himself as a well-prepared to any kind of situation and had always thought that his charm would be there to rescue him if he ever managed to anger anyone. Which he had never done. In all of his life had he made no one angry. He was just one of those people who would never in any situation get angry or would anyone be angry with him. Well another myth was busted.

''What was it? Speak louder!'' The kunoichi commanded and he felt that the only way for himself to save himself from her killer aura was to comply.

''Yes, I understood. Now would you step aside, I'd like to get back up again.'' He said with the utmost of politeness he could muster.

She looked like she processed what he just had said for a moment and lend her hand for him. Needless to say, he was a little surprised for her course of action, but took her hand anyway.

As skin touched skin, he felt something. The spark. The spark that he had been looking for. It was just for a short while, but even after she had let go of his hand, he was sure it had been there. Minato felt like he had to get to know her some way. It's not every day you touch someone and get that kind of reaction. So he decided to be bold and ask a few questions.

''I thank you for saving my student. Is there anything I could do for you?''

''So now you're offering me something? Don't you think I can manage on my own huh?'' She shot back venomously and took a step closer to Minato.

''Oh no no. I just thought of repaying your kindness somehow,'' Minato answered while swaying his hands left to right in front of him, trying to calm her down.

''Hmm, well if you could point me to the direction of Konoha that would be nice.''

''Konoha? You're not from there aren't you?''

''Idiot, do you actually think I would be asking directions to my own village? Clearly I'm not from Konoha.'' She said with a hint of annoyance.

''Uh, of course. Guess I'm still a bit off after that punch of yours.'' Minato knew that all women liked compliments, whether you complimented their appearance or their skills, there was no difference. And if compliments were the key to not get his stomach punched _again _he would do it.

She just sighed, proving to him that his compliments hadn't really hit the spot he had wanted them to hit.

''Look, if you could just point me to Konoha, that would be great.'' She said, clearly wanting to get a move on already.

''If you'd like, we could all go together. I mean, we're from Konoha and we're just heading back,'' Minato asked. He wanted to know this woman better. Why? He didn't really know, but that spark he had felt when he had touched her, was enough of a reason for him. He didn't want to let that feeling go, or the source of that feeling.

She considered the offer for a short while and agreed with it.

''But you're gonna let me fight my fight's okay?'' She said after agreeing.

Minato gave a little laugh and agreed to that. He then waved his students over and made them introduce themselves.

''What about you? What's your name and where do you come from?'' asked Rin, clearly the most comfortable of the three with the woman.

''Oh me? Yeah, I guess I should introduce myself. I'm Uzumaki Kushina from Uzushiogakure and I'm on my way to Konoha to meet some guy named Namikaze Minato who is to become my husband.''

Kakashi, Obito and Rin were all surprised to hear this. They knew that their sensei wasn't the biggest dater there was, but still that to have this woman marry their sensei? Any of them couldn't believe their ears.

But the most shocked of them all was Minato himself. So this was the Kushina he was supposed to marry? He couldn't deny that he was surprised. All he could think of was that could any relationship between them work. No, it couldn't. She was way too hot-tempered for him. Way too anything for him. They were so different, like the sun and the moon. This could never work. Unless he made it work. Maybe if she would get to know him and he would get to know her, this could work.

''So, you're the only one left, sensei-sama,'' Kushina said with an overly sweet voice, ''what's your name?''

His name.

If he wanted her to get to know the real him, and not be disgusted away at this point, he couldn't introduce himself as himself. He needed a plan, and he needed one now.

''Kazonima Minao.''

That was his name. For now at least.

''Kazonima Minao huh,'' Kushina said out loud and for a moment Minato thought he had been discovered, but then she continued;

''Are they drunk in Konoha when they name their babies because Kazonima Minao sounds really strange.'' She laughed after having said that and Minato gave a nervous laugh as well. He had dodged the kunai for now.

And for the remaining two weeks, he was going to be Minao Kazonima from Konoha.

* * *

**(A/N): I hope I didn't let you down with this. I'm trying my hardest, please note that xd**

**First I thought that I'd update when I have chapter 4 written out, but then I saw your reviews telling me that you actually like this fic and want me to update so here ya go! Happy New Year! **

**On that note, thanks for the new reviewers: **_Shirosaki-hime__, Sayuri, __Shy-Tomboy_ and _Kakashi213_

**After a lot of thinking, I'm probably gonna keep this fic quite short maybe around 6 to 8 chapters or so, since I realized that I have nowhere enough content ideas to make this fic to a 15 chapter fic. (Sorry if I let someone down with this.) So if you have any ideas for me, please send them, they are always appreciated!**

**Also I want to say, that I will complete this fic! I have seen so many MinaKushi fics that haven't been completed, and I honestly can't stand that Dx So I don't care how long it is going to take me to complete this fic, but I will do it! So you can count on me!**

**(+ I'm suffering from some kind of a writer's block at the moment, but I'll try to write and update as soon as possible!)**

**Please rate and review and something &amp; have a good day/evening! (:**


	4. Chapter 4

**DAY 6**

In the days between their first meeting and present, Minato had learned that he and Kushina had almost nothing in common. She liked ramen, he wasn't such a big fan of it (saying that out loud had earned him a rather powerful punch to his arm), she liked sweet things, he was more into sour stuff (yet _another _punch was inflicted to his arm) and of course the biggest difference: Kushina was a dog person and Minato was a cat person. When this piece of information came up in a conversation between the two of us, it took both Obito and Kakashi to hold the red head back while Rin was trying to calm said red head down. With the help of Rin, Kakashi and Obito, they managed to make peace.

Minato's only thought at the moment was that this woman was a psycho. She had to be. No other woman had ever acted that way towards him before. _Hell, _no other woman would act like that towards _anyone. _But as she always said to him, 'she wasn't like all the other girls he had ever met'. At least she had it right with that.

What Minato didn't know was that there actually was a legit reason to her angriness. Kushina had figured out the second day they had travelled together that this 'Minao' was actually the Minato she was supposed to meet and ''marry'' in Konoha. All the slips from his students and the really big similarity to his real name had given her enough proof that her theory was correct. What pissed her off was not that he had bluntly lied to her about his name (okay, it did piss her off a little, but she had the damn right to be), but the fact that he thought she was stupid enough to not put the pieces together. Kushina came to the conclusion that this so-called prodigy (she had learned that after having a few conversations with Rin and Obito, who clearly held their sensei on a high pedestal) considered her to be some hillbilly from the little village of Uzu in the middle of nowhere who knows nothing and is as dumb as a snail. If he thought she was so stupid, let him believe so. She would be the one laughing at him in the end.

He basically asked for the cold treatment, and cold treatment is what he was going to get.

* * *

The sixth day was drawing to a close when Minato, his team and Kushina found a somewhat cheap inn from a little village to stay at and rest for the night.

When Minato had made sure that his team was fed, had got what they needed from the village and were headed towards the inn, he decided to take some time for himself and think for a while. For the past days he had felt that everything had fell upon him. It felt like his team was slowly falling apart because of the constant clashes between Obito and Kakashi. He was running out of options of what to do with them. Rin helped a little, but there wasn't much one person could do. There would be no way for any of them to make jounin ever. Being a jounin meant being able to work as a team, which Obito and Kakashi both lacked, and at the same time being a strong individual both physically and mentally, which Rin really wasn't. Together as a team they would have a chance, but at their current state, there would be no promotions in sight.

And then to his second problem, who had a gorgeous red hair and grey eyes with a tint of blueness in them. Minato wanted to get along with her _so, so bad. _So what was it with her that made her only talk to him if she was going to argue with him? What had he ever done to her except shown kindness and being the most helpful human being anyone could ask? And he was supposed to marry that person?

He didn't get a chance to finish his thoughts, since a familiar red head slouched next to him on the grass. He thought he could smell a faint scent of coconut emitting from her hair when she found her place next to him.

Not a single word was said for the next few minutes. For Kushina the silence had started to become awkward the second it started, so she thought that it was her time to start up the talk between them.

''A beautiful night, don't you agree?''

Minato was a little stunned by the sudden question. He hadn't expected her to start up any conversation with him, after all he was the one she had been arguing with the most, Obito being the close second. On the other hand he was happy about this turn of events, but at the same time that 'don't you agree' at the back of her sentence brought back all the nasty arguments.

'_Shit, I'm really overthinking this. Since when have I had any trouble with small talk? Get your shit together Minato and get it together fast,' _Minato thought to himself before answering.

''It is, indeed.''

'_Really Minato, that's all you can come up with? Fucking hell… and she took the initiative to come up and talk to you first, you should at least try to answer with something a lot fucking better.' _Minato scolded himself and instead of saying anything else, just gave one of his gentle smiles to her and prayed to every Kami out there, that she would just let his answer slide.

The silence after Minato's response floated around them for a short time, before Kushina once again opened her mouth.

''A ryō for your thoughts?'' She asked and once again, surprising Minato with her forwardness to talk to him. Wasn't she supposed to detest him?

* * *

The day for Kushina had been great. She and 'Minao' as he liked to call himself hadn't argued that much. Sure, there had been a few light bickerings here and there, but those never hurt either of them, on the contrary actually, it made them smile. With every bickering they grew just a teeny tiny bit closer to each other, discovering new things about the other person. And that really made Kushina happy, though she didn't know why. Yet.

When the sun was setting, Kushina saw Minato seeing his students off and then making his way towards the outskirts of the little village. Having just been to the public baths of the village and not having anything better to do, she decided to follow him. She wasn't sure why exactly she was following him from afar, but then decided that it was because she wanted to see how her future 'hubby' was when she wasn't around to aggravate him.

It seemed like Minato had found a nice spot on the grass and now was thinking something not so nice, judging from the frown that his face now had. This might have been the first time Kushina had seen Minato with that kind of a facial expression. Now that she thought of it, she had only seen Minato with that grin of his. Much to Kushina's dismay, she was growing weaker and weaker against that smile. Whenever they'd have an argument these days, it took all of her willpower not to grin back at him. That was just one of those smiles.

Realizing that, Kushina gave herself a little slap, trying to wake her rational side up. _'To grin back at him? Dear me, wake the fuck up. You cannot start to like him. You simply__** can't**__ do that. You must show father that he can't control your future like this. You __**need **__to show him that you're the only one who can decide what falls upon you.'_

After staying there for a few minutes, she saw that the frown on Minato's face had somehow deepened. Before her brain could comprehend what she was doing, she found herself sitting next to Minato. She had would've thought that if she'd just simply sit next to him, he would start talking, like many villagers in Uzu usually do. But sitting there for five minutes in complete silence, she couldn't handle it anymore. So she decided against her better judgment to talk to him.

''A beautiful night, don't you agree?''

It was fair to say that she was just as stunned as she thought he looked like. She was surprised about her forwardness and seeing his face she figured he was just as stunned. He had not seen that one coming.

'_Really Kushina, really? That's the best you can come up with? You have talked to guys before, so what's making you so nervous this time? It's not like you even fancy him. No, he's just another guy among thousands of other guys. He's nothing special. Well, he is a good fighter, a brilliant sensei to his students and he is fairly good-looking. Oh what would I give to run my fingers through those blond strands of hair and then maybe let my hands wander through his che- WAIT WHAT? __**No.**__ Just no. This can't be happening. I need to shut down my brain somehow…'_

Kushina was so in thoughts that she almost missed his answer.

''It is, indeed.''

'_Well he's just a pure social butterfly. Fine Minato, leave the talking to the awkward one.'_

After thinking for a while what to say next, she decided to use the most awkward conversation starter she could think of.

''A ryō for your thoughts?'' She asked and hoped that the blonde would answer with a bit more than one sentence.

* * *

He decided to give her an answer. He really wasn't in the mood to argue with her.

''I'm just thinking of how my life is going downwards and I feel like there's nothing I can do about it.'' Minato hadn't thought to give such deep and honest answer, but there it was now. No taking it back.

''Care to elaborate?'' The surprise must've shown on his face, since she continued, ''I mean I might not be the person you want to talk the most at the moment, but it sounds like you need someone to talk to and listen to you. And I'm here. So go ahead and talk.''

And that did it for him. He wasn't sure what it was in her that made him pour everything to her. From the problems in his team to his personal problems. And she listened it all. She didn't call him a wimp for complaining about his problems. She didn't belittle them. She simply listened to him and offered her advices.

''So about your personal problems. You have this girl in your village whom you're supposed to marry but in fact you don't really know her, you are uncertain what to do with the whole thing and you are afraid that your personalities won't fit together at all?'' Kushina asked.

''Yeah, that's the whole thing in a nutshell,'' Minato said. He had had to change the actual situation a bit since he didn't want Kushina to know that it was actually her he was supposed to marry.

'_Oh how cute he is, avoiding the real subject like that. But I must admit that he is more clever than I give him credit for,' _Kushina thought.

''Well I'm not the best one to give relationship advices, but I'd say give her a chance,''

'_Wait wait wait what the hell I am saying?! This is my ticket to freedom! I could talk him to run and run fast away from me so what the hell am I saying?' _

''I mean you don't know her so who knows how she'll turn out to be. Some girls are just hard on the surface, and it takes some work to get to their core. But some girls are just worth the pain. Maybe she is one of those, who knows.''

'…_what the actual fuck was that?! I didn't even know I could be so sentimental… but still! Dear Kami forgive me…''_

Minato just stared at her. He only hoped that she would have known that it was her that he was supposed to marry.

''Are you sure? I feel like we might have nothing in common. Literally nothing. She's like the moon and I'm the sun. She's fire and I am water. I feel like I _want _to know her inside out. I _want _to take care of her. And in the end I _want_ to... love her. And above everything, I _want _her to want the same things.''

''You know what they say, actions speak louder than words. Prove it to her that you're serious about her and that you want to know her. She sounds like she doesn't really listen all the time, so I'd say actions are the way for you.''

At that moment Minato knew how he should approach the situation. Everything that he had said tonight was true. He wanted to know her. Now he just needed to put his thoughts into action.

''You're right. Thank you for listening to me tonight, Kushina-san.'' And with that he moved a little and pressed his lips against her cheek. After that he rose up and walked away, leaving very baffled Kushina behind him.

Kushina was absolutely blown away. She couldn't deny that he had a point. They were different, very much so. But deep inside her, she had felt something when he had kissed her cheek. Some kind of a spark she had never ever felt before. All she knew was that that spark was very dangerous. If she'd let that spark grow and turn into a full-grown fire, it would mean that she had lost.

And Kushina Uzumaki didn't like to lose.

* * *

**(A/N): Well another chapter is up! I hope I didn't let anyone down with this. I just felt like Kushina simply couldn't be that dumb that she wouldn't see the situation in front of her. Tell me your opinions!**

**And thank you for the new reviewers: **A, Alley McNally and Jerza Fernandes !

**Remember to rate and review and something! (:**


	5. Chapter 5

**DAY 7**

Kushina was still dazed about the happenings of last night. All the deep talk and Minato's openness and his lips…

''Look, look! The red haired demon woman is blushing!'' yelled Obito while they were walking through the woods once again, leaving the little village behind.

That made Kushina aware of her surroundings. And the possible blush (she wasn't going to admit that there was any blush happening) was now turning into anger.

''You little goggles-wearing bastard, come over here and I'll show you just how demonic I can get!'' She yelled and launched herself towards the poor boy. Obito reflected fast enough and darted off forwards.

''Kakashi and Rin would you be so kind and go after him? I don't want him running into any problems,'' Minato asked and both of his students simply nodded and ran after their third teammate.

They gone meant that she was left alone with the Mr. Sparkle. This was not the way she wanted it to go. No, she needed to be as far away as she possibly could. But that wasn't easy.

She and Minato had got along fairly well after their 'little chat'. There had been no fights today, and that had to be their personal record.

''You really must like Obito,'' Minato stated while smiling. He was so glad that she got along with his team.

''Hmph, that little bastard? What makes you say that?'' Kushina asked, honestly curious of his reasoning.

''I really don't know, it's just a feeling I guess. He might be a little reckless and he might not think matters through but he has a kind heart and his outgoing attitude really brings the team closer in a way.''

''Tsk, he's hardly more than a bragging little half-pint,'' Kushina sighed and then continued, ''He's always tripping over himself, he can't throw a shuriken straight, and his jutsu set up is just… plain horrible.''

''You resemble each other in a way, though,'' Minato said with that smile of his. The next thing he noticed was that Kushina's face had started to grow redder. Was it because she was embarrassed or angry, there was no telling.

At least not until Minato felt Kushina's killer aura emitting from her.

''How dare you… Me and that brat have NOTHING in common!''

After her statement she tried to punch Minato. Hard. To his stomach.

But due to his superior reflexes he managed to dodge her fist and instead of his stomach she hit the tree.

It goes without saying that there no longer stood a tree there.

* * *

It was noon when the travelers decided to have a break. They had left the village in the early hours and had not rested ever since. They're pace was good and Minato knew that they would be arriving to Konoha on schedule. So little breaks here and there wouldn't harm their trip in no way.

With nothing better to do, Minato decided that he'd use this free time to work on his sealing jutsus, which he desperately needed to master. It went without saying that he was a genius and prodigy (even though he would never admit that out loud), but even the best of the best had their Achilles' heel. In Minato's case, it happened to be sealing jutsus.

Groaning in frustration for not knowing how to do the jutsus well enough, he stretches himself on the grass beneath him and lets out a long sigh. He was desperate to master this thing, because he knew that he could save so many lives with this technique.

''_If only I could perfect the seals and then attach them to my kunai's… this shouldn't be this hard, I mea-''_

''Whatcha doing there?''

Suddenly Kushina was there, standing and bending her upper body over him, serving a nice view of her bosom. Minato could think over 10 things he could do with his hands if he could just –

And then he slapped himself mentally.

''_I did __**not **__just think that! Minato get your shit together! I don't need a rewind of this morning!''_

''Oh, Hi Kushina-chan. I-I didn't see you there!''

That combined with nervous laugh, yeah, Minato could see his end coming near.

''So you didn't see me, huh? Well that's weird since I'm practically on top of you… Anyways I saw you struggle over here and decided to go against my better judgment and help you with whatever it is that you need help with,'' she said as she plopped on top of his legs. If you would happen to stride by the situation could be seen as a sexual one.

And when Minato thought the situation could not get any worse, Kushina decided to come closer to him. Now she was sitting on his thighs, when before she had sat on his knees.

Minato knew that he had to get her to stand up _as fast as possible. _Yes, he might have not had the best relationship with Kushina (he was working on it though), but in the end, he was just a man and Kushina was a woman with a _really nice body_ and usually it was the _really nice bodies _that got men into trouble.

Meanwhile Kushina knew exactly what was going on in Minato's head. He wasn't the first man she had ever teased like this, and she could bet on it that he was having a nice and big inner fight between is rational side and his emotional side. So what should a young woman do in this kind of a situation?

_Tease him more of course._

Kushina slightly shifted her weight forwards, which meant more pressure was forced closer to Minato's lower region. The little shift could not be seen with eyes, but it could be felt even more so.

''So what was it that you were so concentrated on?'' She asked with an innocent voice.

Minato couldn't believe this was actually happening. He was almost 100 per cent sure this was Kushina's way of teasing, but there wasn't so much blood flowing through his brain anymore, so he couldn't be sure. On the other hand he was sure if he'd live to see his friends again to tell them all about this, they'd probably laugh at him and say something along the lines of ''why didn't he make the most of this one of a kind opportunity?''

Yeah, why shouldn't he enjoy this feeling of her body on top of his?

She could probably kill him and in the end she probably would kill him, but at least he could die in bliss, no?

''_So,'' _Minato thought, ''_it's time to fight fire with fire.''_

"I'm working on a jutsu. Although you can't really call it working since I'm making no process. You think you could help?" He said while gently and very lightly pushing his hips forward. Not enough to be seen with eyes, but definitely enough to be felt.

And oh did Kushina feel it.

She had never thought that he'd _fight _back, so his movement took her off-guard. And instead of him, now she was the blushing mess.

With an awkward laugh, Kushina asked, "What do ya need?"

Kushina missed half of what he said, suddenly feeling really insecure of the position she was in, but she could hear the words "problem with this stupid seal", and she knew she could help him.

Kushina didn't know why that made her heart warm up, but she chalked it up to proving to him that she wasn't just some girl from the little village in the middle of nowhere.

"You know you're doing the wrong signs."

"Huh? I am? I'm pretty sure I'm doing them right," Minato defended himself, mostly his pride anyway.

'_Men… They never listen, do they?' _ Kushina thought and sighed.

"Well I'm _pretty sure _that if you were doing them right you wouldn't _need _my help. Let me show you".

Kushina performed the hand signs and managed to make just the seal Minato was looking for.

At this point Minato thought it would be for the best to just swallow his pride and ask her how she had done it.

"Ooh, amazing Kushina! How did you –"

"My village is specialized in fūinjutsu, so what did you expect of me?"

And then there it was. That smile of hers. Minato was sure that this was one of the rare moments he could think off when he had seen that genuine smile forming on her lips. How did he know it was a genuine one? Usually when he was surrounded by women, they all "laughed and smiled" to almost everything he said. But it was only their mouths that smiled.

But Kushina was a whole different case. When she really smiled, her eyes lit up, her cheeks dimpled and the corners of her eyes wrinkled. Someone might not say that her way of smiling wasn't 'attractive' or 'beautiful', but to Minato it was.

Minato could honestly say that he had not seen anything more beautiful in his life.

And then it hit him like a tidal wave.

He was in love with Kushina.

* * *

Watching Minato watch her was one thing she never thought she could like.

Kushina herself had never been in love. She had no clue whatsoever about those 'romantic' and 'mushy stuff' couples usually did together.

For a long time Kushina had thought about staying single and just doing missions as a kunoichi. But now, it felt like those plans of hers were crumbling down. She still wanted to go on as a kunoichi, but no longer wanted she stay as a single. She was only a human, and in the end, humans _needed _love. And this time, she was no exception.

And that one thought scared her like no other.

Kushina was falling in love.

* * *

**DAY 9**

It was near the end of the day when Team Minato and Kushina decided that instead of sleeping on tree branches or the ground, they would find a nice little in from some village nearby.

After walking on the streets of the village they had found, the hunt for a cheap inn began. When they found one, Minato sent his team to go and explore the village, since he and Kushina could handle the check-in.

"So two rooms, one for the children and one for the young couple", the lady said with a smile on her face.

As one could guess, this left both Minato and Kushina in a pretty flushed state. However, soon they found out that the rooms at the inn were all taken and the two rooms were the only ones available.

Which left the two of them to share a room.

"Want to grab something to eat?" Minato asked, being the gentleman he was. Kushina nodded in response and off they went.

The awkward silence had hung on them ever since the room dilemma had shown up. So Minato did what he saw was appropriate: he tried to break that silence.

''A ryō for your thoughts?'' He asked, to which she only chuckled lightly.

"Oh so now you're already stealing my catchphrases? Never thought you'd be this sly, 'Minao'," she said and gave him a slight smile.

They bickered playfully the whole way to the nearest place they knew they could get something to eat. Coincidentally, it happened to be a small ramen shop.

So there they sat, ate and laughed. The evening went on without a hitch and both of them could feel the attraction between the two of them grow. Soon it was time to head back.

And then the most unexpected thing happened.

Minato and Kushina were walking back to the inn, when they heard people around them talking frantically to each other, like they were afraid.

Both Minato and Kushina as shinobi couldn't brush off the citizens, so they decided it would be best to ask what was wrong.

"Excuse me mister, what seems to be the problem here?" Minato asked in his typical sensei-voice.

"Oh, you don't know, do you? The most horrible thing! Oh, this could lead to war! Oh this is horrible!"

Now the man in front of them had surely captured their attention. Something so bad had happened that it could lead to _war_?

"Mister, please, tell us what happened?" Kushina asked this time. She had an unpleasant feeling growing inside her, but she chose to ignore it.

"Uzushiogakure… was completely demolished last night…" The man sputtered out, not being able to say anything else.

Minato was shocked to hear this. As long as he could remember, Uzushiogakure had always been a close ally of Konoha, and it to not exist anymore… he had no words for it.

And then he turned and looked at Kushina.

Her face was pale, her eyes wide open and her mouth slightly agape.

The ever so lively Kushina Minato knew was nowhere to be found. Instead in her place stood this woman who could be confused to a dead corpse.

And for the first time in both of their lives, neither of them knew what was the right thing to do.

* * *

**(A/N): I'm so incredibly sorry for not updating for over two months. School takes most of my time and the time I have left after school and schoolwork I usually spend by not writing. And again, I'm so sorry about that. Don't worry, ****I will finish this story.**** So even if I don't update in four months (let's pray that that will never happen xd), it doesn't mean I've given up on this story. School and education is my number one priority, and this story maybe fifth or sixth.**

**This time I'm too lazy to thank every reviewer one at a time, but I do read every single one of them and they seriously give me the motivation that I need to write this story! So please review (:**

**That's all from me for now, I'll see you in the next update (hopefully soon)!**


	6. Chapter 6

**DAY 9**

She couldn't believe it. She didn't _want to_ believe it. But she had to.

There were no words for what was flowing through her mind.

She didn't know what to do. Didn't know what to _feel._

So she did the only thing she could.

She walked away.

* * *

Then all of a sudden Kushina was walking away.

Minato had been eyeing her for any clues that could give away what was going through her mind. Needless to say, he hadn't seen any. Kushina truly was a kunoichi; giving nothing away even when confronted with such devastating news.

So when he saw Kushina walking away towards the inn they were staying at, he decided to follow her. He was aware that not letting emotions take control of your actions was an important part of being a ninja, but bottling all the feelings wasn't good either.

The next thing he knew was that he was standing before their shared room's door, contemplating whether he should let her be alone or go in there and try to help her.

He chose the latter.

* * *

She heard the door open and all she could feel was her irritation grow. Why, she didn't know for sure, she could only guess. Was it because she simply wanted to be alone, or was there something more? Was it because she felt like she could possibly open up to him and that thought was the one that annoyed her? Was it because she knew she could trust him and she knew that he cared for her and she cared for him and that made him a danger? Because admitting that he meant even the tiniest bit of something to her, made her vulnerable.

Or who knows, maybe he's here to make fun of her for being this weak, letting the news get to her in such way.

She couldn't be sure anymore. Nothing seemed to be stable in this world for her anymore. Not after this.

"Why are you here?" she asked. There was little hostility in her voice. She surprised even herself, but could do nothing to it.

"Shouldn't I be here? If I remember correctly, this is also my room," he said.

Kushina could only mutter an almost silent "_oh yeah_" and sink back to the silence.

* * *

Minato couldn't take the silence anymore. He _had _to say something. Just as he was about to say something, Kushina whispered something so quietly he almost missed it.

"I'm breaking the rules… and I dare to call myself a kunoichi…"

"Kushina… I –"

And with a slightly louder voice, she started to repeat the same three sentences, over and over again. It was like a mantra to her. If she stopped, she would crumble and succumb to her sadness. And she couldn't do that. She didn't want to do that.

"It's a shinobi rule: Never show your feelings. Keep your mind focused on your mission. No matter how much you're hurting inside, you can't shed a tear."

"Kushina," Minato tried to reach out to her, but to no avail.

"It's a shinobi rule: Never show your feelings. Keep your mi-"

"Kushina! Snap out of it!" He practically yelled. And Minato never yells.

This made Kushina forget her sadness for few moments. But then her sadness turned into a mixed emotion between rage and devastation.

"You can't possibly imagine what I'm going through or what I'm feeling. Has your whole family; scratch that, your whole goddamn village been wiped out? Have you ever been the sole survivor of your clan?"

At this point Kushina was shaking wildly, still fighting the tears.

Minato didn't know what to do. Sure, he had offered his shoulder for crying women before, but their reasons for their tears were so small compared to this.

The next thing he heard truly broke his heart.

"I have no one left. I'm so alone, more than ever…" she whispered.

Before Minato completely comprehended what he was doing, he had enclosed her in his arms, like he was never going to let go.

"Kushina, you're not alone. I know these words may sound meaningless to you, but they're not meaningless to me. _I _will be your new home, _I _will be your new family, _I _will care for you, _I_ will cherish you and on top of all, _I will love you._"

Then he whispered with the tiniest and calmest voice she had ever heard him speak,

"I love you, Kushina. So please, let me in."

And she did.

It was like Minato had charged trough every wall Kushina had ever built, but she didn't care. Being held by him made her feel like nothing could hurt her ever again.

"Kushina… may I kiss you?" he asked and if the situation had been even slightly different, she would've laughed. Who even asked nowadays if they could kiss you?

'_I guess that's Minato for you,' _she thought.

With the slightest of nods, she answered his question.

Having his answer, Minato slightly bent down, and then their lips met.

All the teasing, arguing, all of it had led to this moment. It was like they were in their own imperfect little world, but to them, it was perfect.

Starting to lose himself, Minato tried to pull away, only to be stopped by Kushina, who was eager to deepen the kiss.

"Kushina… as much as I'd like to continue where this is headed, I don't think the timing is ri-"

"Do not continue that sentence," Kushina said with half-lidded eyes filled with need and lust.

'_Shit, only I get stuck in these kinds of situations and try to stop them from happening. I'm too good for my own good'_

"Don't get me wrong, I want this to happen just as much as you do, but are you sure you want it to happen like this? When you're feeling –"

"_Minato, _the thing is… I feel numb. The only thing that can make me feel anything at the moment is _you. _So please, _Minato, _make me feel good, make me feel whole, make me feel _something._"

And that did it for Minato. Pressing his lips against hers so hard he was sure he was hurting her, but when nothing but soft sighs were leaving her lips, he abandoned all his conscious thoughts. If she wanted to feel something, he was going to make her feel _him. _

Both hands on her shoulders, he skimmed one down her body, over her breast, down to her waist and finally pulling her closer to him while his other hand gently tugged at her hair, exposing her throat to his hungry lips. He proceeded to kiss down her throat to her collarbones and as down as her clothing would allow.

Arms at his shoulders she brushed back his jonin vest, which settled to the floor with a soft sound. Kushina stood with her hands on the shirt at his chest, feeling the warmth that was shining through the fabric. Delicately, she traced the outlines of his muscles through the shirt with her fingertips, then she reached her hands up under it, savoring the feel of nothing but his skin beneath her hands. Minato jerked the shirt up and off to land in the floor with his vest.

While Kushina was busy with his clothes, Minato decided that he shouldn't be the only one being undressed. Doing the same what Kushina had done to him, he brushed of her jonin vest, joining his own clothes on the floor. Taking of her shirt and unclasping her bra, he was left with a sight so stunning he was sure he could ever forget.

"You are so beautiful," he whispered to her, pulling her up against him, the heat from his chest burning her up, consuming her completely. Kushina couldn't imagine a feeling as wonderful as this, her bare skin up against his, her breasts pressed flat against his chest in his embrace.

Roughened fingers plucked at the waistband of her pants, sliding them down her legs as she stepped out of them. He skimmed his hands back up her calves and thighs and over her hips as he repeated, "You are so beautiful."

Kushina thought she would melt under his gaze. Hands on his shoulders, she sank toward the bed, Minato following. He knelt above her, one knee between her thighs. Her hair was fanned out around her, framing her face against the white of the inn's pillow. Unable to bear just his gaze on her any longer, but yearning for his hands and his lips and his body, she reached up, drawing him down to her.

"Minato," she let out a whisper filled with so much emotion Minato was sure he would fall apart, "Minato, I want you so much; I _need_ you."

She whimpered in delight as his lips touched her at her cheek, shoulders and chest, _everywhere_. At the same time one large palm was covering her breast, heat from his hand causing her to gasp out loud and moan his name.

To hear his name from her like that, so heavy with desire, nearly drove him insane. He moved his hand aside, kissing the underside of her breast and trailing his tongue up to flicker around the center before he covered her with his mouth. Kushina clutched his shoulders, arching up into him.

_Why had she ever denied this from herself?_

He kissed further down, lipping at her hipbones, dipping his tongue in to her navel, half mad with desire and delight that he was the cause of her pleasant little moans and gasps.

_Why did she ever think that he could cause her pain?_

Sitting back up, he slipped his thumbs beneath the elastic of her panties on either side drawing those down off her legs as well. He was now settled between her legs, kissing his way back up from ankle to calf to knee to thigh. His hand was gentle but firm, pressing her thighs a little further apart as she tensed in a sudden bout of nervousness.

_Could he hurt her?_

"Shhh," he whispered, his lips tickling along her thigh as he made the sound. Kushina gasped aloud as he explored her with his tongue, gentle, seeking then softly kissing back onto her belly. Dipping one hand between her legs, he teased her with one finger, then a second as she whimpered beneath him, begging for him.

_No, she decided, he couldn't._

Pausing from his work, he quickly shed his pants, stretching his body back out over hers, kissing her, twining the fingers of one of his hands with those of her own, gripping tightly, and then he sank into her.

_If something was clear to her, it had to be this._

And Kushina forgot where she ended and Minato began.

_He loved her, and she loved him back._

* * *

**(A/N): Okay, so, wow. **

**I was not gone for that long, huh? Just 5, almost 6 months passed between this and the former chapter… **

**I can't begin to describe how sorry I am, that I've been absent for that long period of time. But please, let me try to explain:**

**Last spring was the busiest I had ever been so far in my life. All the studying started to get to me and on top of that I got a summer job which required huge amounts of training for it. So, when I wasn't in school, I was in training.**

**So then the summer began. Needless to say, that summer job kept me busy all summer long. In two weeks I have 4 days off in total, sometimes even less. And since here in Finland we have these 'matriculation exams' (google that word, should be a fun evening reading to you all &amp; you probably understand the whole concept better) at the end of our high school (they basically determine your future), I needed to study to those when I wasn't working. This equation left me no time to write.**

**And then we're finally at autumn. I had my matriculation exam a week ago, which means all my time this fall has been devoted to studying, studying and some more studying.**

**But now that I've got that hell of an exam over for now at least, I can actually focus on writing. I'm not making any promises when the next update is gonna be, but I'll say so much that I'll try to finish this fic before next year, probably near Christmas!**

**Thanks to everyone who has reviewed and rated and done whatnot to this story! I appreciate each and every one of you! I will not be listing you all here this time around (since I'm just so desperate to get this chapter out) but know that I love every comment I receive!**

**I also have to thank my friend for helping me with the lemon-ish/smut-ish part of the chapter! I couldn't have written it without her, so thank you! (:**


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